Taurinus Brazilian Steak House

We’ve been to several Brazilian steakhouses in different states. This one is smaller & more romantic. The salad bar is smaller but larger is not better. There are so many different items at this salad bar than other ones we’ve been to.
When you arrive they give you a dish of popovers, deep fried bananas, and deep fried polenta.
The meats were flavorful and plenty. They also has chicken hearts and grilled pineapple.
We had a bottle of wine and got 20% off because we checked-​in on Unilocal!That’s an extra bonus.

Came here for lunch for my husband’s birthday. I was pretty apprehensive as a vegan, but my husband is a big meat-​eater, and it was his special day, so I took one for the team :) Turns out, they had some decent salad bar selections for the vegan/​vegetarian crowd! I liked the quinoa salad and grilled asparagus best. There was also tasty rice, heart of palms, grilled pineapple, and a few other salads. If you’re just vegetarian and not strictly vegan, you’ll have even more options because there are some cream-​based salads and cheesy breads that they bring to the table.
Worth it for lunch, since there is a $ 5 difference if you’re vegan/​vegetarian, and they even offer you a nice card to place in front of you so staff won’t put hunks of meat directly in front of you. They were really good about that. They only asked my husband, and in return, my husband was over the moon about the selection, taste, and quality of cuts he got for the prices they charged. While Brazilian BBQ isn’t my bag, I was really grateful and appreciative that their salad bar had enough options to satisfy both meat and non-​meat eaters alike! Adatable for mixed groups where there are big time carnivores and a few vegans/​vegetarians. Great and friendly service to top it all off too.

I had a hard time trying to decide how I want to review this place…
On the plus side, the meat dishes were very good. Better than Fogo… and they even had pineapple and chicken hearts! Their top sirloin, pork ribs, prime rib, and filet were quite tasty as well!
On the down side, the place itself, is not very upscale as you’d expect it to be… typically when I go to a Brazilian (or a rodizio place) steakhouse, and if the prices are $ 50+ pp, then the place should be very nice… sparkling clean, bathrooms a joy to be in, and salad bar to be very fresh with great selection. I understand that you’re there for the meat… but when you’re paying a pretty penny, I expect everything to be up to par. And unfortunately it wasn’t. So although the meat was good… everything else was just sub-​par and just okay. Salad bar was somewhat disappointing, bathrooms weren’t very clean, the main dining hall was small and cramped.
Desserts were okay. The peanut butter thing just seemed like a slice of rich peanut butter ice cream (cake?). I’d stick with the meats.
Service was great though! They all seemed pretty attentive and nice (except for one of the meat holders who seemed like he didn’t want to be there).
All in all, for the price, I’d say it’s a solid place to go (since this is one of the lower priced Brazillian steakhouses). Would I go out of my way to come here??? Probably not. But if I’m in the area and craving Brazilian, I’d come here.
3.5÷5

Our group of 8 had reservations here on a Wednesday night and we were seated right away upon arrival. They had a great assortment of breads to start off, all of which I really enjoyed. I decided to check-​in on Unilocal and found out that you get 20% off any bottle of wine with every check-​in, so we ordered a few bottles of reds throughout the night (yay!).
The salad bar is a bit small compared to the other places, but there was still a great selection of items and I really enjoyed the Beef Marsala. I was a bit hesitant on going to another Brazilian Steakhouse since all of the other ones I’ve been to have been more on the salty side, but the meat here was perfect! Everything we tried was delicious and the meat was tender and juicy. Our group had a really great time and our server was very attentive to our table.
I would definitely come back here again! Thanks Taurinus!

Kinda a delayed review but here goes!
My boyfriend and I had dinner here about 3 weeks ago and loved it! I had been to the brazilian steak house before but this one was the first I tried in the states. we were able to try all the meats in a fair amount of time since there were only 2 other couples in the restaurant with us when we went. The open salad bar was amazing and the other sides were so so good. I read reviews before I took my bf there and many suggested not to eat too much with the salad bar and sides so I also had to cut off myself and my bf before we got full before we got to try what we went for. we loved everything we tried and the service was great. Don’t be afraid to try the chicken hearts! they’re prepared so well and taste great. Our favorites were the filet mignon wrapped in bacon and the sirloin. We are definitely going to come back for another date here.

I decided to treat my friend here for his birthday and it was definitely a memorable and filling experience. I made reservations online a few days in advance which was a breeze. This place is smaller than Espetus but packs just as much authentic Brazilian steakhouse meat as the rest! So if you’re down for an amazing meat extravaganza in the San Jose area, this is the spot for you!
How it works: There is a wheel on the table. When it shows green, you’re basically telling everyone, «FEED ME MORE MEAT!» and when it’s red, «PLEASE! STOP! SO FULL!» While it is green, men with swords full of different types/​cuts of meat will come to your table and give you as many slices as you’d like. This can include filet mignon, garlic steak, flank steak, parmesan pork, ribs, chicken, sirloin, etc. God the list goes on and on! On the side there is a self-​serve salad bar which is mostly used as a palate cleanser from all of the delicious meat! So just remember to not fill up on this. You ain’t paying for carbs and veggies, you’re here for the juicy tender flavorful MEAT! Trust me, all of it just melts in your mouth. All of the delicious juices just marinade your tongue with every single bite! Omg it’s so bomb!
Compared to Espetus, everything is basically the same. However, the pork here is on point! I usually don’t care for pork since all I want is beef, but all of the pork was way better and juicier here. Unfortunately, the garlic steak here is not as good as Espetus. That was the one item I was looking forward to, but it was just alright. Besides that, everything on the menu is comparable to Espetus. So if you don’t want to travel up north, this place will definitely get the job done for the same price! Taurinus has a nice and classy environment with great service and fantastic food! Make sure you’re ready to eat because you’re mouth is about to go on the craziest meat adventure ever!

Love this place! The salad bar has great vegan/​gluten free options. I love the mango salad, it’s my favorite.
We like to celebrate special occasions here. The manager has accommodated us by waiving the corkage fee on one bottle of wine. I would like to say, they have great management here. Major key to success, if you know what I mean.
Brazilian style place. They come around with the meat at a good pace. The bread plate they bring has yummy treats too. I like that the salad/​buffet area has authentic options too. They have a delicious paella at the buffet too. There are so many things to rave about at this place, if you’re thinking about going… just go!

This place is a great spot for company parties or big groups. The breads are pretty meh.
Good selection of meats, top sirloin, sirloin and parmesan pork are superstars! Good service. Salad bar has lot of variety… and coffee is great!
They serve pineapple and chicken hearts which I never saw in a churrascaria. They are both very good. They had pork ribs, whihc was again unusual… whihc were dry!
The crème de papaya is delicious! Juicy oozy goodness!
Overall, pretty nice place to hangout with big groups… and holiday parties. Pretty cheap if you just eat the meat. Although, the desserts seemed a bit overpriced for what you get.

Our group (30 people) went to Taurinus for Christmas lunch gathering. Service was excellent. They kept bringing us more meat on a kebab and serve us more drinks continuously. The meat was really tasty.
The dessert was not included in the AYCE price, but we ordered some desserts to share anyway. Dessert was excellent.

Prefeito! Gostinho do Brasil, e atendimento excelente. A comida é sem dúvidas maravilhosa, e o pessoal super atencioso… It’s perfect! Food and staff are great. Five stars.

The short: AYCE Brazilian with amaaaazing appetizers and salad bar
We came here to celebrate my brother’s birthday. Woot!
Our reservation was at 6 on Monday, and there were three other parties there (not a full house, though several more parties arrived later in the night). Then again, it’s a Monday and downtown SJ seems to be dead anyways on Monday nights (and it was Labor Day weekend). The ambiance is very calming and a little upscale (read: dress is casual~business casual).
I liked all of our servers, who were very kind and attentive, telling us how Brazilian AYCE works (the little indicator has: green, for bring on the meat and red, for hold on, I’m not ready yet/I’ve had enough). The server comes with the meat on a long rod, cuts a slice of meat, and then the guest takes the tongs to grab the meat. We learned very quickly that green means that they’ll come one right after another with the meat. So much meat! Although the pieces were small, they are so filling!
Unfortunately, as this is my first time having Brazilian meat, I wasn’t used to the flavors. Some were amazing, while others were not or barely passable. And I think the salty, charred meat is not my thing either. Their meats: top sirloin, sirloin, filet mignon, tri-​tip, beef ribs, flap steak, pork ribs, pork loin with parmesan, lamb leg (a disappointment), chicken hearts, chicken (or was it beef?) with bacon (my favorite!!), chicken wings, garlic with beef, grilled pineapple (so sweet, juicy and delicious!)
Ah yes, the appetizers (cheese bread, fried plantains, yuca fries) were so good! I loved it all, especially the plantains. And their salad bar (over 20 selections) is amazing. I’d say it’s even better than places that serve only salad! There’s also a hot section (of beans, fish, and other things) Gosh, I would come back just for their appetizers and salad bar!
At the end, we were so full that we had no room for dessert. I know, so sad. They have a Unilocaler’s bonus for a 25% off dessert too :(I’ve been to buffets before, and I can say that this is the first time I’ve ever had a food coma. As soon as I got home, I fell asleep and woke up much later with a very heavy stomach, so I went for a walk to start the digestion! Haha, thanks Taurinus for my first Brazilian experience.
Side note: it’s somewhat surreal to see hobos roaming the street outside when you’re having delicious food. I think it’s something that’s out of the realm of Taurinus’ control. I felt guilty and somewhat helpless that I have the privilege to enjoy the food while they don’t.

Wow! Great place! I had been to Pampas before and thought it was good, but a little bit on the extra formal side. My husband had never been to a Brazilian Rodizio style place before so after doing some research, this place called to me. I am so happy I listened to that little voice in my head.
Definitely somewhere to try if you love meat and want to enjoy a nice date night!
Tip — they get busy on Saturday nights so call ahead for reservations.